The Five Times Niles Didn't Tell Daphne, and the One Time he Did
by Awesomerigby
Summary: Being in love is hard, it's even harder when you're Niles Crane, and you just wanna spill your guts.
1. Chapter 1

**The Five Times Niles Didn't Tell Daphne, and the One Time he Did**

 **The First Time:**

Niles was feeling awful. Of course, he had every reason to feel awful especially when he just found out that Maris was having an affair with her fencing instructor. He didn't know what the man did to win her over so well, but it was making Niles feel inadequate. His own marriage was crumbling, and he had to suffer through it while she found love with another man.

He had planned to storm into her room and confront her about the affair, and he was filled with so much confidence he was sure he would do it. Until he got to her door, and his hand hovered over her doorknob, and he was frozen to the spot. When his body could move again, he turned on his heel and walked out. He couldn't understand why he didn't just go through it. He was angry and hurt, and she had to know that she was the cause of it. Except, he was scared. He was scared that she would confirm the affair, not deny it, as he had hoped. What if she had told him she loved Gunther, and their marriage was over?

He was at Frasier's again today. Frasier had gone to work, and Martin and Eddie were on a walk. It was just Niles on the couch with his thoughts.

Niles wanted to believe that Maris could never do such a thing, but what did he know? All he knew was that they were in a rut that had been going on for years. He could even argue that they had reached the end of the tether since the day they married. It was not so farfetched that she would fall for the dashing fencing instructor, and it was not so farfetched that she would act on those feelings.

So, that was it, he thought. She was having an affair. And it made him feel horrible.

"Dr. Crane?" Daphne asked. She had come from the hallway with a basket full of laundry.

"Hello," he replied. Despite all his pain, just seeing her was enough to brighten his spirits. He offered a smile.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine. It's disconcerting, but I can handle it."

Daphne put the basket on the floor and went over to sit next to him. She put her hand on his, and he felt the heat rush to his cheeks.

"You don't have to put on a brave face, you know. It's a horrible thing, and you have every right to feel those feelings."

Niles looked from their hands to her face. There was so much concern in her gaze, and his lips parted involuntarily. She was truly the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on.

Suddenly, a thought came to him. Maris certainly felt their was no hope for their future, so why should he? A divorce was not far in their future, and Niles felt that if he told Daphne how he felt, he would have a chance.

"Daphne," he started.

"Yes?"

He wanted so badly to say it. He wanted to let her know everything, and he wanted her to kiss him and hold him and love him as he loved her. But, as he opened his mouth, he couldn't. He had just suffered an emotional blow from Maris, and he wasn't sure if he could take any more rejection. Not to mention, it would be unfair to Daphne to spring it on her like this. Waiting would be the best thing.

"Thank you. You're truly a wonderful friend," he said instead.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "As are you." She leaned forward to kiss his cheek and left him on the couch to return to the laundry.

Niles watched as she left the apartment, and a sigh left his lips when he was alone with his thoughts once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Second Time:**

So, it was a selfish thing to do. It was probably one of the most selfish things he had ever done in his life, but what could he do? He couldn't let her go out with Joe. Not that he was a bad guy or anything, but he just couldn't let her do it. So, the lie was a blessing, he believed. She would understand sooner or later learn that Joe, though a great person, was not the man for her.

Then, would that make Niles the man for her? Yes, definitely. He believed wholeheartedly that they belonged together. But, he was still married, even if he was separated. Could he really leave Maris for Daphne? Well, that all depended on whether or not Daphne felt the same way.

Niles waited in the bathroom for Daphne, silently cursing Frasier for calling her in here. He knew his brother was right, though. It wasn't fair to keep Daphne from a nice relationship. It wasn't fair to himself, either, but what he wanted didn't matter. If he really loved her, he would want her to be happy.

"You've got a spot on your tie," she said with a smile and began dabbing at it with a small cloth.

How was he supposed to tell the truth when she was so close? He felt as if he was either going to faint or lean in and kiss her. Fainting would make her panic. Kissing her would make her panic, and possibly, hate him. So, if either of those two were options, he would want the former. As long as he didn't hit the toilet or floor too hard.

Regaining his composure, Niles went into his explanation. Joe never did any of those things, and she should go out with him, no matter how much he didn't want that.

Frasier told him to tell her the truth, and he wanted to. He wanted to let her know that he made up that story because of his own petty feelings. But, she would hate him. She would reject his love and hate him for keeping her from Joe.

He silently prayed for a way out of this, and that was when Bruce came in. Talk about a lifesaver!

He just had to patch things up with Joe, and everything would be set. They would go out, love each other, possibly get married… have kids. And Niles was feeling faint again when he saw Daphne open the bathroom door and smile at Joe when he asked her out again.

It was a good thing he didn't tell her. Why give her such a big burden to carry? Why complicate things? Maybe she one day she'll realize her feelings, maybe not, but all Niles knew was they made a spark, and whatever that spark contained, it was magical.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Third Time:**

He had been fighting with her. Or rather, he was trying to initiate a fight between them. The first time was accidental and—he had to admit—his fault; he was stressed out, and he took it out on her. He didn't believe it would escalate.

And, it was wonderful. As they shouted, he could feel his blood pounding around his ears so wonderfully that he was sure he would faint. It felt as if they were a couple having an argument, and Niles realized that it had more to do with that fact than the fact that they were fighting at all.

Initiating a second fight was much more difficult. He had almost gotten it a few times, but she shrugged it off. He wanted to feel that pleasure again and—if he was lucky—it would escalate further into a kiss filled with passion and rage. Niles imagined Daphne would be a wild kisser when she was angry, and he would be lying if he said that didn't arouse his curiosity—among other things.

When he tried another time, Niles could tell she was getting annoyed and angry. Soon, he hoped, she would begin to shout. Instead, however, she just frowned. She looked disappointed, and this was much worse.

"Dr. Crane, why are you being so rude today?" her voice was soft, and Niles realized she was not only disappointed, but she was also sad that he had been treating her like this.

"Uh…" his voice failed him. He suddenly felt guilty and ashamed of his actions over the past day. "I'm sorry. I'm overworked, and I know that's no excuse. I didn't want to make you feel bad…" He just wanted her to give in to passion, just as he would…all too easily, he had to admit.

Daphne's face softened, and she smiled. "I forgive you. I've been on edge too, and I'm afraid I've taken that on you."

"You have nothing to apologize for…" She didn't deserve half-truths. She deserved to know that he was so in love with her, and he went about his feelings in the wrong way. He felt like a schoolchild. His heart trembled. He was a coward, and all he could do was be an idiot in the hopes that she might love him that way.

 _Yeah, right, Niles; engaging in arguments is totally going to make her love you._

Before he could say anything further, she had her arms around his neck.

"Friends?" She asked into his neck.

"Friends," he replied softly, stroking her back with his fingertips.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Fourth Time:**

When Frasier's third anniversary on KACL came around, he was, no doubt, thinking of that day. Niles knew he was, even though as he looked back on it, nothing really eventful happened. To him, at least. He was proud of how far his brother had come, despite his feelings for pop psychiatry.

As Niles drove home from work that day, he recalled the moment he and Frasier met at Café Nervosa. That time it was purely by accident because all Niles wanted was to have his alone time. He was glad now that Frasier had interrupted. Having coffee with his brother was one of the highlights of his day.

That day, they had talked about Martin, and Niles had to lie and say that getting shot in the hip changed their father. It seemed to be the only way to get him to visit, and lord knew they needed to patch up their relationship, which was damaged way before Frasier moved to Boston.

Niles recalled talking about Maris, and he spoke of her so fondly. It was often a mask to hide his feelings of unhappiness with her. He exclaimed he would never even look at another woman, and at that moment, he turned away. When he turned back, there was the scent of cherry bark and almonds in the air, and it was intoxicating.

Back then, he thought nothing of it. Now, he realized that the scent came from Daphne who had arrived at the table at the moment he was turned. He smiled at the irony of it. Even before he met her, she was there. His earlier claims that he would never look another woman were refuted, and they were even more refuted when he not only looked at another, but he fell in love with another.

Remembering that moment made Niles come to a decision. He could tell Daphne how he felt about her. That moment was fate; he was destined to be with her, and she had to know it.

He was on his way to the elevators to the 19th floor of the Elliott Bay Towers when they opened and Daphne stepped out.

"Daphne!"

"Oh, hello, Dr. Crane."

"What are you doing?"

"Going for a walk," she answered. "It helps clear my mind. I can't decide where to go for vacation."

"Can I join you?" he asked.

"Sure. I thought you were visiting your brother?"

"Well, I came to see you." He smiled, and the two of them left outside. The air was cold and refreshing. "Difficult decision?" he asked.

"Yes. Acapulco or Manchester! It's so hard!"

Niles chuckled. "It'll come to you."

"Let's hope so."

"You know… I was thinking about my life three years ago from today. Frasier's probably doing it too since it's been three years since his radio show."

"Right! He had talked about that."

"What were you doing three years ago?"

Daphne bit her lip to think. "I was trying to find work here. I remember I was in the café, looking over newspapers." She suddenly laughed loudly. "Oh, I asked someone for sugar! It was your brother! Oh, my gosh!"

Niles laughed with her. "Funny how things work out, huh?"

She nodded. "Oh, wow. You were there, too. Who would've thought we'd be here?"

Yes, who would've thought he would have fallen for this charming woman? "Daphne, that day got me thinking that I need to do something drastic."

"What's that?"

"I need to tell you…" His voice failed him. Not now! It had been three years; it was time to tell her he loved her! "I…" His face was hot, and he had to fan himself with his hand. "I need to tell you that I want to give you a hug to celebrate our three year anniversary of knowing either even without knowing!" He laughed nervously.

"Oh!" She put her arms around him. "Happy anniversary, Dr. Crane!"

"Happy anniversary, Daphne." Damn it.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Fifth Time:**

Being married to Daphne was great. Even fake married! It was so convincing, and it was heaven having her lips against his cheek as if she actually loved him.

Perhaps this was the clincher. She would break up with Joe once and for all—they were going through a rough patch—and she would realize that she loved Niles all along.

This scheme seemed like the perfect way to get Clive out of their lives and for Niles to finally take their relationship to the next step. He thought that way until things got hectic, and he was afraid someone was going to get killed.

Things started to go downhill when Clive mentioned his own business. That was when Daphne looked so impressed that she took Niles's hand and took it off her knee, which she placed in an attempt to make their 'marriage' seem more realistic.

"Hear that?" she asked. "A business owner and still as handsome as ever."

Niles had to admit, he had been jealous of Clive from the start. He was jealous of anyone who had feelings for Daphne, but that was where it ended. Now, his jealousy did nothing but intensify because she was interested in him.

The rest of the night didn't go as planned. Niles had tried to initiate conversation with Daphne, make her remember that she was the one who put on this scheme and told Clive she was married to him. She wasn't going for it though, and she seemed to forget Niles was there, or that they had spent the last few hours paying the love toll and acting married.

He wasn't sad when Clive realized they were trying to trick him all evening. Even though Daphne tried to explain herself, Clive was having none of it. He was so angry he was ready to storm out and never speak to her or any of them again. Niles didn't really care that much.

"I'll never understand how two people like you spawned from that sweet, courageous, old astronaut," Clive said before leaving.

After that disastrous evening, Roz wasn't keen on staying, and she made her way home not long after Clive, but not before offering apologies to Daphne. Daphne accepted at once and hugged Roz to show her that they were still friends.

"Well, good night," Frasier said when he was done eating cookies as he reveled in self-pity with Niles and Daphne. "I have a feeling I won't forget tonight any time soon."

Daphne smiled. "Neither will I. Good night."

When Frasier was out of the room, Niles looked over at Daphne, and he slid closer to her on the couch.

"Daphne."

"I'm sorry for putting you through this. Be lucky you weren't really married to me. I'd be a terrible wife, ogling other men."

Niles knew if they were married, she wouldn't be like that, but he couldn't help but worry somewhat. No, Daphne was a kind woman, and she would never hurt him if they were actually in love.

"Actually, Daphne," he started. He would tell her that he wanted to be married to her, or at least in some sort of relationship. He would tell her he went along with this charade because he loved her that much, and he was giddy at the idea of being with her. "…It was quite entertaining tonight."

"It was, wasn't it? At least Clive won't be bothering me." She sighed. "I'll find someone, I know it."

"You will," he confirmed. "I better go. Good night, Daphne."

"Good night, Dr. Crane. Thank you again," she said as he grabbed his coat and left the apartment with a smile in her direction. Hopefully that 'someone' would be him.


	6. Chapter 6

**The time he told her:**

He had found her in _The Sure Thing._ She was nursing a drink, and she looked so disappointed. He was disappointed as well, and angry, but not for himself. It surprised him that Adele's disloyalty didn't affect him, but he was too preoccupied with his anger at Rodney for hurting Daphne.

"Daphne?" he asked.

"Hello, Dr. Crane."

"You don't seem surprised to see me."

"I called Rodney, and he told me everything," she sighed. "So, I thought I'd come down here."

Niles ordered another drink and sat next to her. "I'm sorry."

Daphne shook her head. "It's not your fault. Rodney came after me as soon as he learned I was out of a relationship." She sipped her drink. "Are all men like that?"

Niles took a cautious sip. "No, not all men."

"No, you're not." If only she knew how fast he was going to tell her how he felt. He would've too, if Frasier didn't stop him. Now that he saw how Rodney affected her, perhaps he was grateful for Frasier telling him to wait a day. "You're kind and sweet. You were too good for Adele."

He smiled. He needed some reassuring right now. "Thank you, but you know, my heart wasn't in that relationship."

"I thought not."

He glanced at her. "There was someone who was too much on my mind."

"I thought so, Dr. Crane."

"You did?" He asked hopefully. Did she know how he felt all along? Was she going to accept him and love him or toss him aside because of recent events?

"As long as you still have feelings for your wife, you can't really date anyone else."

His shoulders slumped. Yeah, that wasn't exactly it, but he wasn't about to tell her that. It wasn't the time.

"I'm going to lay off dating for a while," she said. "It's been too much of a hassle. But, I tell you what, I pity the next man I date. Probably rip him to shreds." He hoped she was joking, but she sounded so serious.

"What about the one after that?" he asked nervously.

"Oh, Dr. Crane…" She chuckled softly. "You know, I was sitting in this stool when I met Rodney."

"Really? I was sitting here when I met Adele."

Daphne laughed again, and Niles inquired what she was thinking about. "If it was a different time in both our lives, we might've met. How do you think it would've gone? For fun," she added when he hesitated.

"Okay." It certainly would be an interesting scenario, and it might help to heal their wounded hearts. "I would've said, "is this seat taken?" And you would've said, "No." You would've said, "My name is Daphne," and I would've said, "My name is Niles." Then…" He thought about how to make this as memorable as possible. "I would've said, "What are you doing for the rest of your life?"'

Daphne let out a laugh and put her hand on his hand; her skin was soft. "You always know what to say… Oh, I love you, Dr. Crane."

He wished her words didn't hurt him, but they did because he knew she loved him in a way that differed so far from his own feelings. Still, despite the hurt, there was some happiness to have garnered such a special place in heart.

He gave a sad smile that she couldn't see, reached for his drink, and decided to say it; "I love you, too, Daphne," he said, and she didn't know how much he meant it. As he sipped his drink, he wondered if he would be able to truly tell her and have her truly understand just how deeply he cared for her.


End file.
